Oliver Button is a sissy

Summary:

A boy must come to terms with being teased and ostracized because he’d rather read books, paint pictures, and tap-dance than participate in sports.

Comment:

This beautiful new edition of Tomie de Paola’s progressive 1979 classic about a young boy teased and bullied is still relevant today. Although some of Oliver’s preferred activities may no longer considered “for girls”, the message against bullying and against gender stereotypes is still strong. What makes the story particularly effective is that Oliver remains true to himself: in fact he does not gain acceptance by winning the talent show, but his classmates start looking at him differently even though he does not win.